X-Men: Rise of the Past
by CynderFanForever
Summary: New challenges rise. Kitty and Rogue's friendship is put to the test, and they are forced to endure their personal demons. Rogue wrestles with the fact she nearly killed Kitty, and Kitty deals with worry, as well as pains that rack her body. An old face brings Rogue's world crashing to the ground, and the outcome is one no one saw coming.
1. The X-Mansion

**And now we step into a new adventure. This one will be worth it, I promise you! This will introduce a few new characters, and one that is always mentioned, but never shown most of the time. I hope you love it!**

* * *

 **Chapter One: The X-Mansion**

It had been three months since the explosion that had almost completely destroyed the Mansion. But three months later, it looked just the same as it had before the explosion. As she walked in the front door, Rogue was taken off-guard, remembering the smoldering ruins from that one night…that one fateful night. The one she wished she could forget, but was unfortunately unable to do.

Rogue sighed as she stepped into the foyer. She saw the many students, all either children, teenagers, and young adults. She herself was a young adult, being 18-years-old. Looking around, she saw none of those she knew just yet, all of whom were either her age or older (the latter only with the teachers). And all of them were Mutants.

She saw in the main hall a bald man sitting in a wheelchair, two beautiful women, one with red hair and green eyes, the other with blond hair and blue eyes. She recognized them all: Professor Charles Xavier, Jean Grey, and Emma Frost, all powerful telepaths. When they saw Rogue, each one of them smiled. Rogue forced a smile back. There was a memory that kept returning, and she wanted it to leave. She forced it back as she walked up to them. "Hello, Rogue," greeted Xavier. "It is good to see you once more." Emma shuffled through a stack of papers and handed it to him. "Here is a list of your classes. If you look down at the bottom, you will see a special ninth class."

Rogue was surprised. "Why is that?" she asked.

"You're still a member of the X-Men," Jean explained. "So you'll still be with us. I hope everything is to your liking while you're here again." She placed a hand on Rogue's right shoulder. "Nothing will happen this year, I promise you that, Rogue."

Rogue nodded, smiling a little.

"Oh, and just so you know," Emma said, "you'll be in room 24B. B is the girls' side now. I don't know who's rooming with you at the moment, however. If you wish to know how to get there, go up the stairs, move to the right hallway, and go down. It should be on the right side of that hallway, twelfth door down."

Rogue nodded. She forced a smile again. "Do you know where Logan is?" she asked.

"Last I saw him, he was talking to Bobby," Jean answered.

Rogue nodded, then began walking away. She remembered Bobby Drake, her boyfriend, who could control ice at will. She couldn't wait to see him again. But for the moment, she needed to get the heavy pack off her back. She sighed and closed her eyes as she saw the flight of stairs, and she did what she could to get up there with ease. When she finally made it to the hallway, she saw one of the other professors, Storm, walking toward her. She waved at her, and Storm smiled and waved back. "Hello, Rogue," she greeted. "It has been a small while since I last saw you. How was your break?"

"Fine," Rogue replied. "I wish it could have been a little longer, but it was good nonetheless."

"Well, I've got to go," Storm said. "Need to get the classroom ready. After all, classes start next week. I'll see you at dinner, Rogue." She left, and Rogue continued down the hallway.

She found the room number that had been mentioned to her as being the room in which she would be living in and sleeping for the next long while. She just wondered who she would be rooming with. But as soon as she opened the door, she got her answer.

Sitting there in an armchair by the large window reading a book was a girl around her age with long brown hair and striking blue eyes. As soon as Rogue walked into the room, she looked up, and she said, "Rogue! It's been so long!"

Kitty Pryde reached over to her right, and Rogue suddenly felt a pang of guilt in her stomach as she saw the crutches. Kitty got up, held one leg up, and made her way over to her. Kitty hugged her friend/sister hard, and Rogue hugged her back, though not as lovingly.

She still remembered all that had happened that caused her to be apprehensive about being near Kitty: While on a mission to save the children that attended the institute after they were kidnapped in a raid performed by William Stryker's men and the Brotherhood of Mutants, they'd been separated from the rest of the X-Men. They fought the blue-skinned Mutant known as Mystique, leading to Rogue's kidnapping and brainwashing. She found Kitty later on while under the effects and beat her, going so far as to break her leg, leading to her use of crutches. She felt horrible about that night, and even now, she was still haunted by it all. But Kitty didn't seem to blame her, much to her surprise. She wondered exactly why that was, but she decided to attempt to put it behind her and continue on with reuniting with the girl she'd counted as her sister during the last time they'd seen each other. The memory would probably continue to burn in her mind, but that did not mean she could not push it back as well as she possibly could and move on from it all.

"How was your break?" asked Kitty. "I really missed you during all that time we spent away from the Mansion. You, Alison, Logan, Piotr, Bobby…everyone. It's been hard since we parted ways."

"I've been good," Rogue replied as calmly as she could, putting the memory back. "But I think we should wait to continue this conversation for later. I just feel like laying down. I didn't sleep very well last night, or any of the past few nights before."

"I understand," said Kitty. "I slept well, but I still have nightmares sometimes. It comes as a result of what we went through. I keep seeing Mystique and her yellow eyes, as well as Stryker holding a gun at me. That's it, fortunately. But it doesn't help with peaceful nights."

Rogue nodded. She wondered if the beating was also in Kitty's memory, which she wouldn't have been surprised by. As badly as she wished to forget that night, nothing helped her to put it behind her. She sighed, and then decided to sit down on the bed. She wondered who was going to be joining them in their room. As if on cue, she heard a knock at the door, and Kitty used her crutches to move over to the door and open it. When she did so, Alison Blair stepped into the room. "Kitty, Rogue!" she exclaimed. "It's so good to see you two again!"

She threw her arms around Kitty's neck, though, after noticing the crutches, she became more careful, and the hug was a soft yet firm one. Then it became time for Rogue's hug. Alison threw her arms around Rogue and gave her a crushing hug that left Rogue almost gasping for breath. The unexpected strength put behind the hug surprised Rogue. But she hugged her back, remembering the friendship with Alison, remembering how the blond had helped her to get through the troubles she'd gone through after her injuring of Kitty.

"How are you guys?" Alison asked. "I talked to you on the phone, Kitty, but I never got the chance to say anything to you, Rogue. How were the both of your 'summers?'" She laughed a little, as the summer hadn't really been a summer at all. It was actually January at the moment. The whole incident had taken place in October before Halloween.

"Mine was good," Kitty replied. "I got to go up to Vancouver during Christmas, and it was beautiful. I wanted my leg to heal during the time, but unfortunately, it didn't. Oh well. I guess we can't always get what we want. But during that time, I really missed you two." She looked over to Rogue. "How was your 'summer,' Rogue?"

"I didn't do much," Rogue replied solemnly. The mention of Kitty's broken leg made her feel very uncomfortable. Kitty realized this as soon as she heard the tone in her voice, and she suddenly felt bad, though she knew none of it had been Rogue's fault. It had all been done by William Stryker, who was now behind bars for a long time. "I pretty much stayed in Mississippi for a while, over at my farmhouse. It was boring, but I needed some alone-time, if you know what I mean." She became very silent.

Kitty and Alison looked at one another, feeling bad for Rogue. She obviously still blamed herself for everything. Neither wanted that to happen, but they didn't know what more they could do besides comforting her, which they were already doing.

There was suddenly another knock on the door, and when Alison opened it, she found herself staring at a young girl with platinum-blond hair and silver eyes. The eyes caught Alison off-guard, and she wondered who the little girl was. Then her answer came when she saw Piotr Rasputin appear behind the girl. He smiled at Alison, and then craned his neck to get a good look into the bedroom. Alison knew why: Piotr and Kitty were in a relationship. And she realized the girl must be his sister.

"Hello," he greeted them. "It's good to see you again, Alison."

"Piotr?" came Kitty's voice. She hurried over to him and hugged him, propping herself up on the crutches. Piotr hugged her tightly, yet very softly, as he was much stronger than a normal human being, as his Mutant ability was to turn into a metal-man. At least, that was how Alison described it, as she had no idea how else to do so. "Oh, it's been too long!" She kissed her boyfriend on the lips. At this, Alison smiled, but Piotr's sister looked very confused.

"It is good to see you as well, Katya," Piotr replied. "This is my little sister, Illyana. She was assigned this room with you three, and I want you all to take good care of her." He smiled. "How's your leg, Kitty?"

"Could be better," she said. "I'm still waiting for it to heal completely, but other than that, I'm just fine. I just hope I'll be able to walk normally by the end of this year."

Rogue felt even worse, though she knew once more Kitty had not meant her words to affect her. But no matter what was said, she did not believe the relationship she had once shared with Kitty and Alison could ever be ameliorated after what she had done with her own two hands. It was too hard.

"So, this is the girl you were speaking of," Illyana said, retaining the Russian accent possessed by her older brother. "It is good to finally meet you, Kitty. Piotr said much of you during the break. In fact, I think I even heard him speak your name in his sleep."

Piotr's face became red, and he scratched his head. He shrugged, and then said, "Well, who better to dream of then the girl of your dreams?" He chuckled at this, and Kitty joined him.

Kitty turned around and looked at Alison and Rogue. "I'm going to go out and hang with Piotr. I'll see you guys later. And if I see Logan or Bobby, I'll be sure to let you guys know. I would also really like to see Kurt. It's been too long since we last met."

She used her crutches to carry herself out of the room, and she and Piotr disappeared down the corridor. Illyana walked in and said, "Hello, Alison, it is very nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Illyana," Alison replied brightly. "I'm sure we're going to become really great friends." She led her over to Rogue. "This here is Rogue. She's one of Kitty and I's greatest friends."

Illyana held out her hand, but when Rogue looked down at the small hand, she suddenly received a flash of memory, of when she'd used one of her bare hands to take some of Kitty's lifeforce away from her. She remembered how she'd used both her hands to break Kitty's leg…

Rogue walked off, and Alison and Illyana watched her back as she did so. "Did I do something wrong?" Rogue heard Illyana ask.

"No, it's just…something happened a while back, and it seems she just remembered it. It's nothing you've done," Alison explained softly. But it didn't matter; Rogue could hear the words, and she felt ashamed of all that had transpired that one fateful night. If only it could all be taken back…but the truth was, it could not. She could not deal with that.

She hurried down the corridor, and turned the corner. She saw the stairway, and as she made her way to it, she ran right into a big, burly man who seemed to be in his early forties. His hair was crazy, and he wore a leather jacket with a blue flannel shirt underneath and blue jeans, with black boots to finish the look. Rogue looked up and smiled as she recognized him as Logan, AKA Wolverine, one of her fellow X-Men. "Welcome back," he greeted as he hugged her. "How have you been? It's been a while."

Rogue sighed. "I've been all right," she said. Seeing his raised eyebrow, she continued, "But I still can't get my mind off that one night, is all. It's such a horrible memory, and I can't get it out of my mind. I hate that memory so much, but it won't go away!"

"I understand," he said. "I actually just ran into Kitty and Piotr, and Kitty seemed to not be bothered by it at all. Why is that she was able to move on so easily, and for you so hard?"

"Likely because she wasn't the one attacking," Rogue muttered. "Look, can we get off this subject? I just want to talk about something else for the time-being, and this isn't something I can stand to speak about. How about we speak about your trip during the break?"

"I didn't do any trips," he said. "I actually stayed here and helped to rebuild the mansion for you guys. I wanted to take a trip, but I felt it was better to stay here and make sure you guys had a home of some sort. You know what I'm talking about?"

Rogue nodded. "I really didn't do much," she said. "I stayed at the farm mostly, helped Mom and Pa around with the animals and all that. You know, rural Mississippi life."

"Well, normally, I would have thought that to be a Kansas sort of life, but to each his own," Logan said. He looked behind her and smiled. "Well, looks like we're having a small reunion here."

Hearing this, Rogue turned around and saw her boyfriend Bobby Drake, known as Iceman. Standing next to him was Kurt Wagner, known in the X-Men as Nightcrawler. While at the moment, he was wearing his civilian disguise, with raven hair, tan white skin, and brown eyes, his true form was a blue being with a demonic resemblance, possessing yellow eyes and a tail with a pointed tail. Rogue wasn't affected by the form, but she liked his human form much more.

"There you are," Bobby said, smiling. She ran to him and hugged him. She felt like that was the only contact she needed with anyone, other than the contact between she and Logan. "It's really good to see you again, Rogue. I'm so happy to be here with you right now. I had to wait a while to see you again, and the wait was worth it, if you ask me."

"It's nice to see you again," Kurt said. His accent was no longer quite as thick.

"It's good to see you, Bobby," Rogue said. "And it's really good to see you, too, Kurt."

"Hey guys, dinner'll be starting soon, if you'd like to start heading down," Logan said. "We'll likely meet Kitty and Piotr down there. Last I saw, Piotr was carrying Kitty down the stairs, holding her with one hand and…" He stopped, shook his head, and then said quickly, "Yeah, let's just head on down there, shall we?"

Rogue knew how hard Logan was trying not to bring up the event, and she was grateful to him for that. She did not want to to deal with such a horrible memory. If she was supposed to deal with it, she hoped that would not come until much, much later.

They walked down the stairs, and behind them, they soon heard the voices of Alison and Illyana. Both were talking about their Mutant abilities with one another, and Rogue thought she heard Illyana mention she could teleport, and that there was another ability somewhere deep down inside her that she felt, but could not identify just yet. Those words caused Rogue to wonder.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, they walked toward the great hall, which was already thickly populated with many of the students. There was no one at the main table just yet, which was where the teachers, including Professor Xavier, sat.

"I'll be seeing you guys soon," Logan said. "I've got to sit up there, unfortunately. But it shouldn't take too long, I'm sure." He smiled at them all, especially Rogue and Alison. He broke away from their group, and as he made his way to the main table, he touched the shoulder of a girl, who Rogue and Alison recognized as Kitty, and a boy who was recognized as Piotr.

The group sat down near and around the two of them. They were both talking excitedly, and they stopped speaking when everyone began sitting down around them. "What are you guys talking about?" Alison asked them with a hint of playfulness in her voice.

"Just what we'll be doing later on during the school year," Kitty replied. "I'm sure we'll be able to have a normal school year this time. At least, that's my main hope. But I'm sure nothing bad will happen. I'm praying it won't, and hopefully I'll be listened to." She sighed, and then looked over to see Bobby and Kurt. She smiled and waved at them. "It's good to see the two of you. How were your breaks?"

But before they could answer her, there was the sound of a wheelchair moving, and they looked up at the main table, where Professor X had just arrived, accompanied by Emma Frost, Ororo Munroe (Storm), Jean Grey, and Scott Summers. They all smiled at the students. Xavier looked around and clicked a glass with his fork. The students fell silent around them, and he began speaking:

"Welcome, students, to another year!" This brought many cheers. "This year, we have much planned for you all! We cannot wait to give you what we have to offer, and I promise nothing ill shall befall any of you. This year will bring some changes. We have a new teacher joining us. I would like you to join me in welcoming Emma Frost, an old friend and colleague of mine!" Even louder cheers and shouts. Everyone was clapping, with the exception of Rogue, who smiled on the outside. But on the inside, she wasn't so sure what her true feelings were anymore. "And now, for some reminding of the rules…" As he gave out a list of the rules, Rogue thought of that one fateful night, wondering what she could have done to change it all. She thought this through for a long time until she heard Xavier change the subject. She refocused her attention on him. "And now, let us begin this great feast!"

He blinked once, and suddenly great piles of food appeared around them, and Rogue realized what had happened: using his telepathy, and possibly with help from Emma Frost and Jean Grey, Xavier had made the students think there was no food in the room with them. It was a great trick, but it did not brighten Rogue's dampened spirits.

The feast lasted for a long time, and though she ate heavily and drowned it down with as much Coke as she could get her hands on, her mind was on many other things. Flashes of memories came to her mind, no matter how much she attempted to put them behind her. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she looked over to her right to see Kitty. She quickly jerked her shoulder back.

"Rogue, are you okay?" Kitty asked. "You're sweating a lot."

"Um, yeah, I'm fine," she lied. "It's just hot in here, is all. I'll be fine soon, though."

Kitty knew she was lying, but she didn't press the subject. She knew what Rogue was thinking, and she understood the great pain her sister was going through. She would do whatever it took to possibly help her.

When dessert arrived, none of the group could possibly take more than a few bites. They were too full.

"I can't eat much more. If I do, then I won't be able to fit into that cute leather costume," Kitty joked. The group laughed, including Illyana, and Rogue let out a small giggle, but then returned to being silent. Kitty frowned as she saw this.

Soon enough, the feast ended, and Professor X said to the students, "Thank you for everything! You have made this day very special! Now go to your rooms! Classes will start tomorrow at eight thirty sharp! Do not be late! If you have questions, please see Ms. Grey!" As the students bustled around, ready to get back to their rooms, Xavier added, "Robert Drake, Alison Blair, Kurt Wagner, Piotr and Illyana Rasputin, Rogue, and Kitty Pryde, please report to Logan."

All seven of them blinked as he spoke their names. Six of them were a little surprised, but then guessed they shouldn't be. Illyana, meanwhile, was very surprised.

They went to Logan, who said, "Trust me, I don't know what exactly he wants. Just trust him for the time-being. Hopefully this won't take too long, however, because I want to go to bed, and you guys should get to bed early, as well. Just in case."

Emma came over to him and whispered something in his ear. She smiled at the group, then walked away. Logan began walking, and the group followed him. Alison and Piotr stayed a little farther behind to help Kitty along, who wasn't the best with her crutches "Oh how I wish I could walk on air," Kitty muttered. "Or at least _float_."

It took them a few minutes to arrive at a room in the far back of the mansion, behind the great hall. The room was almost all bare. The floors were white, the walls gray and white. It made Kitty feel somewhat tired, but she was able to keep her eyes open.

There was a table with twelve chairs. The group and Logan sat in eight of them. Soon enough they were joined by the four other teachers and Professor X. Each of them sat down, and then their "meeting," if that was what it was to be called, began.

"It is good to see you all again," Xavier said. "With the exception of you, Illyana. If I understand correctly, you first met with Emma here, am I correct?" Illyana slowly nodded. "Well, it is good to finally meet you. I do, however, know the rest of you. How were your breaks?"

Everyone, with the exception of Rogue, nodded and mentioned a few things about their breaks. She was still battling with her mind at the moment, though she attempted nonetheless to keep her mind on what was going on.

"Good, good," Xavier said. "Now, onto business. With the exception of Illyana, I am sure you all remember the Brotherhood of Mutants. As for you, Illyana, let me explain to you: The Brotherhood of Mutants is a group of Mutants with a vendetta against humanity, possessing hopes to vanquish all humans on the Earth." At this, Illyana gave a gasp. "Yes, I know this is quite a shock. Well, unfortunately, they are at it again, though I am unsure of what they might be planning. I had a source tell me Mystique was recently spotted somewhere in Canada, though I have no idea why should be there. I have called this meeting to reassemble the X-Men. Now, while one of us has a disability…" he looked to Kitty "…I am sure we can still prevail in this. I do not wish for a battle, of course. That would be the worst decision, as it would be wrong of me to do so, and it would put you all in certain danger, I am sure."

"So I get to be Dazzler again?" Alison asked excitedly. "Yes!"

"So now we get to use those nicknames," Logan said. "Wolverine, Dazzler, Iceman, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Storm, Cyclops, and Shadowcat…How very nice." Logan did not seem at all pleased.

"We also took the liberty of creating new costumes," Jean said. "These new costumes are better in the since that they will stop a knife from entering your body unless the blade is wielded by someone even stronger than Logan. They are also heat-resistant, and if you need heat, they will warm you, and if you are too warm, it will cool you."

"That's amazing," Alison breathed. "I would have never thought that was possible."

"Originally it wasn't," Emma said. "But we finally succeeded after trying a lot."

The group laughed. Then Jean got up, and she brought out from a trunk one of the costumes. It was black-and yellow. While most of it was yellow, there was a yellow V-shape that ended around where the belt would end up in a triangular form. She handed it to Kitty. "There you go," she said. "When your leg heals, you can see how that feels. Let me give you the gloves and the boots." She got out a pair of glossy black boots and yellow gloves.

"Thank you," said Kitty.

"Is that it?" Bobby asked. "Sorry, it's just…I'm really tired."

"Understandable," said Storm. "Well, you can all go to bed. But first, we must ask, Piotr, will you allow your little sister to join the X-Men? We could use her well."

"I'm not sure," he said. He scratched his chin, then looked to Illyana, and finally to Kitty, who shrugged, which he took to mean, "It's up to you." And after a little more thought, he finally said, "Yes."

"Oh thank you!" Illyana exclaimed to Piotr and the teachers. She was obviously happy to be accepted.

The teachers nodded, with the exception of Logan.

"Well, that's it," Professor X said. "We will assess your abilities later, Illyana. But for now, we are done. You may go to bed now."

And that was that. Everyone fell silent as they got up from their seats. Then Kitty asked Piotr, "Would you carry me?"

He smiled and nodded. "It would be my honor," he said.

Five minutes later, accompanied by Logan, the group returned to the girls' room, where Piotr brought Kitty inside and lay her on her bed. Logan set her crutches by her nightstand.

Logan sighed. "A whole new year," he said. "Can't wait to see what it brings." He looked around for a moment, and then said, "I hope you guys sleep well. Goodnight!"

He walked away, and the boys took their cue to leave, as well. Piotr kissed Kitty on the lips, hugged Illyana, and left. Bobby hugged Rogue, whispered something in her ear, and followed Piotr out.

"Well, goodnight!" Kurt said awkwardly. He closed the door behind him. There was the sound of a small _crack_ outside, the sound of him teleporting away, likely to his room.

After the girls got ready for bed, they lay down and sighed. Kitty, Alison, and Illyana were ready for what new challenges the year was going to bring them. But as the lights were turned out and she closed her eyes, Rogue wondered how much longer she could take the pain of the past.


	2. Time to Train

**Chapter Two: Time to Train**

The next few weeks moved by quickly. Classes went well for the three girls, as well as Bobby, Illyana, Piotr, and Kurt, thought by the end of the week, many of them were bored. They wanted the weekend to come quickly each time a new week began.

During that time, however, Rogue attempted to keep away from Kitty, as the painful memory kept returning to her. While she did not see this at first, Kitty realized what was happening by the end of it, and she felt bad for her friend. It was not her fault, she knew. But it seemed Rogue would never understand that, much to Kitty's chagrin, as well as Alison's, who noticed this not long after Kitty. Both of them wanted to comfort Rogue and tell her the truth behind it all, but they were unsure if it would actually help Rogue or not.

One morning, three weeks after the start of the new year, Kitty opened her eyes, and she remembered suddenly that she was back in the X-Mansion. She couldn't believe it. She was so happy that she was once more back in the Mansion where she had begun a new life. Where she had met all of her amazing friends. She loved it so very much, and she was happy she was back.

There was a twinge of pain in the leg that was still broken, and she gasped a little. The pain was normal now, in her opinion. She was able to get through it, but it was still hard for her to think that she had received the injury only because of the events that occurred on the island Magneto had raised from the ocean, the one Stryker had used to torture Rogue and force her to hurt her. She remembered that event vividly, but she would never allow it to control her life. However, it seemed that was exactly what Rogue was doing.

 _Why can't she see it's not her fault?_ she thought. _Why can't she understand that she had no say in what happened! She was kidnapped and tortured! It's all because of Mystique and Stryker that everything happened. It's a horrible event, yes, but she had as much of a part in it as I did, which isn't much. At least, not when it comes to the bad. As for the good, that is where we belong. She deserves to be there._

"Kitty?" came Alison's voice. "You awake?"

"Yeah," Kitty replied. "What is it?"

"You wanna go to breakfast? Illyana and Rogue have already left, and I just wanted to know if you want to go ahead and leave."

Kitty sat up in bed, and she looked to Alison. She looked very tired, and she wondered why that was. But she decided that it was best to leave such thing alone for a time. She would find out later, however. She told herself she would find out later, however.

"Would you mind helping me?" she asked Alison, referring to her leg. Alison did so, helping her dress. When her last boot had been placed on her right foot, she slowly got up, balancing on her unbroken leg, and reached for the crutches, which Alison handed her. "All right, let's get going. Hopefully not all the good food is taken."

They hurried downstairs, though Kitty was forced to be careful. But when they reached the final step, Kitty knew it was going to be all right. In front of them they found Logan talking with Jean and Storm. He did not hear them coming down, but it seemed he suddenly smelled them. He finally turned his head and smiled at them. "Good morning, girls," he greeted. "I saw Rogue and Illyana earlier. I was surprised you weren't with them, actually, but I understand if you just wanted more sleep."

"Yeah," said Kitty, "I was still fast asleep when Rogue got up. When I woke, Alison told me. I guess she just wanted a head-start on her day, along with Illyana. Are we doing something special today, or something of that sort, Logan?"

"We're going to be doing training," Jean said. "Well, you probably won't be, but since you're still a member of the X-Men, you're going to exempted from all classes for the day. I'm sorry if that seems boring, just watching everyone else doing what you want to be doing, but we think it would be best if you remain with us."

"That's perfectly fine," said Kitty. "I'm fine. Watching my friends isn't such a bad thing."

"I'm not such a fan of it, though," said Alison. "I'm kind of partial to being surrounded by my greatest friends, and so I would love it if my greatest friends were down in the field with me, if you understand my meaning." She sighed and shrugged.

Kitty smiled at her, understanding what Alison was meaning. She felt that way at times, as well, and she wanted to be down in the field with her friends, but she knew it would be some time until that was able to happen. While she could deal with it, she felt a longing in her chest, and the wait was beginning to hurt her mentally.

"Well, when you're back, everything will be much better, Kitty," Logan told her. "There's a lot going on, though. We've been trying to find where the Brotherhood ended up, but it's taking way too long. I would say more, but some if it is information I can't say." He quickly added the last part, seeing the expressions on Jean and Storm's faces. "Well, let me lead you girls to breakfast, and we can talk over that. Maybe we'll see Rogue and the others."

He led them down the hall, into the dining room. There was only one table that was not full of children, with only a few seats being allowed there. And sitting at it was Rogue, Bobby, Kurt, Illyana, and Piotr. Kitty saw Rogue look up as she approached, and Rogue blinked once, then returned to her breakfast. Kitty understood what she was thinking, and she didn't blame her for it, know how hard it was for her to see her sister on crutches.

"Morning, guys," greeted Bobby. Piotr and Illyana hugged them both. Kitty sat next to Piotr, and she was between he and Illyana, while Alison sat next to Rogue, who was between her and Bobby. "So, did you hear about the training? I can't wait!" His smile faded a little when he realized Kitty wouldn't be able to participate. Kitty thought of what to say before he did, however, and she stopped him from inadvertently making Rogue feel worse as he opened his mouth to speak again.

"It's okay, Bobby," she said hurriedly. "I'll be fine. Watching you guys isn't so bad. I mean, I understand how hard it would be to fight without me–" she paused while Piotr, Illyana, Alison, and Bobby laughed "–but I think you guys'll do just fine. I would love to see how well Illyana will do on the team. This is her first experience in the training room, of course, so make sure to keep your sister safe, Piotr!"

Piotr laughed a little harder and hugged Kitty. "Don't worry," he said. "I'm pretty sure she can handle herself by now. She's been able to do so since her powers first originated. So I think she'll be just fine. But I'll do as you say, just in case," he added.

"Good," said Kitty. "Besides, this injury shouldn't take too much longer to heal. I'll be back on my feet in about a week or two." She looked once more over to Rogue and saw her tense up at the mention of her leg. Then she got up and walked out of the room. Kitty sighed and felt truly sorry for her, wishing she knew how it was to deal with such a load on your shoulders.

"Don't worry, Kitty," Alison said. "She'll come around. It's understandable that she can't stand what's going on. But this'll all be back to normal soon enough, okay? You did nothing to cause this, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't blame you for any of this."

 _I don't think it's me she's blaming,_ thought Kitty.

She knew the struggle was all too real. The pain of everything that had happened, from their fight with Mystique, where Kitty had been knocked unconscious and taken, to the torture that had turned Rogue against the X-Men. The unfortunate injuring of her at the hands of Rogue had made it even worse, and she didn't know what she could do to help her sister through it now. It seemed Rogue was making it all harder on herself, pushing herself into a deeper hole from which she could not return. While Kitty wished to help her, she knew it was going to be hard for her to do so when Rogue was acting in such a way as she was now.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up to see Logan, who was smiling at her. "Hey, Kitty, when you finish breakfast, come and meet me near the Danger Room. I want to talk with you." He smiled again, pat her shoulder, and then walked off, smiling at those sitting around Kitty as well as he took his leave.

"What do you think he wants?" asked Kitty.

"Probably about what you're going to be doing as a member of the X-Men as your leg heals," said Alison. "You might be doing something really cool, like giving us our missions to go and hunt down the Brotherhood! It just sounds really cool."

Kitty nodded, but the longer she thought about it, the less she felt she wanted to eat. She decided it was better if she just went ahead and left so she could talk with Logan. There were some things she wanted to mention to him before the training began.

"I'll see you guys at the Danger Room," she said, and she got up, using her crutches to balance. When she saw Alison's expression, she said, "I don't feel like eating, is all. There are just some things I don't feel right about at the moment, and I feel like I need to talk with Logan about it before I lose my mind over it all."

She hurried away from the table and made her way down the few halls that came before she made it to the secret door that would allow her entrance to the rooms that came just before the Danger Room. She opened the door, and she found Logan standing there with Professor X and Jean Grey. They all smiled at Kitty as she came through the door and closed it behind her. Standing there in the presence of the three adults made Kitty feel strange, though she quickly got over it.

"What is it?" she asked.

"We wanted to talk with you, Katherine," said Xavier. The use of Kitty's real name made her wince. "I am sorry for using your real name, Kitty, but it seems more professional, especially when it comes to a situation such as this."

"What do you mean?" Kitty asked. "Does it have to do with the Brotherhood of Mutants? Magneto or Mystique? Or maybe Stryker? Is something bad about to happen?"

"Yes, and no," Logan told her. "What we're going to tell you is to stay classified. We might tell Rogue later, and maybe Alison, but no one else. So do not say any of this to anyone when you leave this room today, do you understand, Kitty?" She nodded. "Alright. Professor, would you like to tell her what it is should be told?"

"The truth is, Kitty, you are in severe danger," Xavier said. "You, Rogue, Alison…all of us. But most of all, you and Rogue. Ever since the fight on that island, you and Rogue have been in the crosshairs of Mystique for some time. She believes you should have died there on that island, because that was what she meant for. The reason I know this is because I met with Magneto. We may be enemies, but even enemies need to have a meeting with one another, to discuss what will happen between us and what will not happen between us. If there is something that could bring us together, we sometimes bring ourselves to do so. We were friends so long ago, and while we are enemies, we still share some sort of friendship."

"So Mystique has…placed a bounty on mine and Rogue's heads?" Kitty asked. "I understood she disliked us–she mentioned it several times during that fight of ours–but it seems she hates us even more than I would have thought–and more than I hoped she would." She rubbed her face with her hands. "Well, this isn't so good."

"I see you have good sense in you, Kitty, and I congratulate you for that," said Xavier. "It may not sound like much, but you and Rogue are in danger. If we have to go up against the Brotherhood, an eye will have to be kept on you at all times. Mystique will likely attempt to kill you the next time she sees either of you, and she will not be allowed to do so. I will not allow her. That is why I want Logan to be your protector from now on."

"You want him to be some kind of a bodyguard when we're out in the field?" Kitty asked. "That won't be necessary. I understand, there's a lot of danger here, but I'm sure it could be much worse. You've probably gone through many of these threats, have you not?"

"We have, but that does not mean we should be foolish and not make sure you will remain safe, Kitty. We must be ready for another fight, and while your leg is broken still, it is healing, and it will be healed soon enough. You must understand that. When we engage in another fight, we will likely need to watch you and Rogue. As far as I can tell, from what Erik told me, Mystique won't stop at anything until you are dead. We cannot allow that to happen. You do understand this, do you not?"

Kitty sighed. She did understand, but she didn't think she needed anyone to watch over her. She was free-spirited, and all she needed was friends and family. She knew it was dangerous for her now, but she was sure there was some way that this could be done without going overboard about it all. She didn't need a bodyguard, she believed.

"I don't know, is all," she finally admitted. "It really doesn't seem so bad as it could, but it makes me feel as if I'm even more vulnerable than I really am. I get it, my injuries prevent me from doing what I could a while back, but I'm sure my leg will heal soon, in about a month or so. Please understand that I don't mean to offend you in any way. I'm just not sure what I'm supposed to think about a lot of this."

"That is to be expected, Kitty," Jean said. "We'll give you time to think all this over before we ask you again. When we ask you again, we want you to give us your most honest answer, and maybe an explanation on why you chose that answer. Do you understand?"

Kitty nodded, though she was still unsure of what she was supposed to think of what had just been asked of her.

She went into the Danger Room, and for a moment she nearly went into the middle of the room before realizing she would not be able to participate in the training, which, while she hated that fact, she was perfectly fine with for the time-being.

She allowed Logan to help her up the stairs that led to the observation room. When they arrived, she found a chair and sat down in it, ready to see how her friends were able to do without her. She longed to be down there, but she knew it wouldn't be able to happen for a while.

Soon enough, Rogue and the others walked out of a secret door, into the Danger Room, wearing the new costumes that had been made for them. Kitty couldn't wait to wear that costume soon enough, and she told herself she wouldn't have to be stuck to using crutches for much longer, that she would be free of them soon, and that she would be back on the field with her sisters and boyfriend.

Xavier and Jean came into the observation room not long after, and Jean spoke into a microphone at the front of the room, on a control board that was used to control the Danger Room. "Alright now," Jean said. "It is time to begin. This Danger Room session will be harder than others, and while I know that might seem a little unfair, with Illyana being new, but I thought–rather, the Professor thought–that there was enough faith going around for all of you, so we decided to set the difficulty up to a medium for the time-being. Just to see how you do. I will not give you specifics on what you are about to see, but I will say you might be surprised somewhat. Good luck."

Down below, Rogue looked to Alison. "What do you think that's supposed to mean?" she asked.

Alison shrugged. "All I know right now is how I wish Kitty were with us," she said. "She's probably one of those observing us. Well, it's better to make her happy about what she sees. We can do this without her, it's just going to be harder than it is usually."

Rogue nodded. She too wanted Kitty down there with them, but there was still a part of her that did not want that, especially because of the last time either of them had fought…

Suddenly a metal arm came down, and she realized her thoughts had made her sense of reality turn off, and she hadn't realized the Danger Room simulation had begun, which was a very dangerous thing to do. Out in the real world, in a fight with the Brotherhood, a situation such as that would have gotten her killed.

 _Gotta be more careful,_ she thought.

Another metal arm came at her, and she attempted to dodge again, and it almost hit her, only for Bobby to come in and allow her to escape as he froze it. Piotr, in his metal form, came in not long after and destroyed the metal arm with one punch, leaving the frozen pieces to scatter across the room. He looked up to the observation room and saw Kitty watching him from up there. He smiled at her, and she smiled back. She wished so badly that she could be down there with him.

But at the moment, she would be patient and wait for her leg to heal. She knew it would be soon. She knew she wouldn't have to wait too much longer for it.

Alison flashed her sparkling light rays at whatever came at her, and they seemed to have some sort of a light sensitivity, as they backed off from her very quickly. Kitty thought about this for a moment, and she thought it wouldn't be like that in an actual fight, as only a few enemies would back off from a light ray like the ones she shot out. And most of them would not be the Brotherhood, likely. She wondered for a moment what Xavier was thinking when he created the simulation. Hopefully it would become much harder for Alison later on, as Kitty wanted her to face a real challenge, not those that wouldn't prepare her for what she would have to face later as a member of the X-Men. She had a mind to talk to Xavier and the others about this later.

Bobby was hit and thrown across the room as a metal arm came down and slapped him in the back. He blasted ice at it, but the ice did not slow it down. Looking closer, Kitty saw the metal arm was emitting heatwaves. She thought that was a perfect thing for him to face. _Maybe Xavier does have a good idea for these other defenses. Maybe he does know to show the weaknesses and strengths to them. But still, there are flaws in this simulation. Alison and the light rays are the prime example of that part of the argument. But so far, it's going pretty well…I just hope Rogue does well enough. What could phase her, then again? She can take the abilities of others…_ Her thoughts suddenly trailed off, and it wasn't just because of what that all reminded her of.

As she watched, a metal arm came at Rogue, and she nearly screamed, but then Rogue phased through, coming back out on the other side, completely unhurt. Kitty realized the reason behind it…

That memory came back to her, despite the pain it brought to her mind. She couldn't believe what she was thinking suddenly. It all hurt her, and she didn't understand why in some ways, but she understood in other ways. _What the freak is this?_

Her mind swam for a little before it returned to what was going on below her. Why this was all happening made her feel so strange…Even after the last battle, where she had been forced to be defend herself, albeit without success, against one of the girls she had become so close to that she had called her "sister."

Another metal arm came down at Kurt, but he teleported away. Unfortunately, when he reappeared, he ran into Rogue, and both were hit by the arm. It seemed to be heat-seeking, though she wasn't very sure about that. Kitty felt sorry for her, but laughed a little all the same. She felt wrong for it, however.

And then something happened that she did not expect.

Another metal arm came at Rogue, but as it was about to hit her, she phased through. Kitty's eyes widened, and for a moment she felt sad, angry, and confused all at the same time.

Her gaze flicked to Illyana, and she was surprised by what she saw. Illyana was about to be hit by an arm, as well as a blast of energy, but she suddenly disappeared, and Kitty saw there was no sign of her teleportation. She knew it was teleportation when she found Illyana on the other side of the room. The metal arms turned their attention to her, and Kitty saw it was all the metal arms. She was scared for her, but all those fears left her as the metal arms blew into pieces as Illyana only flicked her wrist and speaking something under her breath.

When the pieces were scattered all around the floor, the simulation was over, or so the group believed.

Piotr looked at his sister with a bewildered expression. He wondered how in the name of God he had missed her powers developing within her, and he was also scared. Even when he realized he was in his metal form, he wondered if she could rip him apart.

Kitty thought of this as well, and she wondered what exactly would come of this next.

Thirty minutes later, the group, along with Logan, Jean, Xavier, Jean, and Emma, Storm, and Scott (who had been teaching classes at the time the Danger Room simulation had been going on), as well as Kitty, who did not consider herself as a member of the group at the moment, not as long as her leg was broken, were sitting in Xavier's office. Piotr had helped Kitty up the stairs to the office.

"Well done, I must say," Xavier complimented. "I knew you would all do quite well, but I wasn't sure how well, not since the last time we tried this all." He smiled at them all, and to Kitty's surprise, his smile landed on her. "I am very surprised at some of what we saw, and I would like to discuss it now. Would you mind?"

"Not at all," Bobby said, speaking for the group. "What do you think of our performance?"

"I will be asking such questions to our judges," Xavier said to Bobby with a smile. "I want to see what all of our judges–that is, those who have seen your performance in the simulation. While Scott, Storm, and Emma have been shown the simulation, they will not give constructive criticism to you just yet. Later, yes, but not this time. They will give it to you after another simulation. Now, my first question is directed at you, Jean. What did you think of their performances in the Danger Room?"

"They all did quite well," she said. "The best performances in the Danger Room are to be given to Alison, Bobby, Piotr, and Illyana. As for Rogue and Kurt, unfortunately, you two were hit after accidentally knocking one another over. I think you both did quite well, however, do not get me wrong. If I had to pick a personal favorite, which is hard for me to do in most situations, however, I would have to choose Illyana."

"Logan."

"I thought you all did quite well, and I believe Jean took most of what I had to say," Logan said. "The truth is, I knew there were going to be some problems there in the Danger Room. I knew there were going to be some points where one of you would mess up somewhere, because it happens all the time, so don't be angry about it, alright? Rogue, Kurt, you both did amazing. Don't worry yourselves about what happened. Just try to improve upon it in the future. Meanwhile, Bobby, you did great with freezing that one arm, and Piotr, I loved breaking it. I know it sounds like I'm just giving you pats on the back without any reason whatsoever, but I'm telling you all this because I think you actually did do very well. My favorite performance of them all would have to be that of Illyana, however. I'm just wondering, how the heck did you destroy the metal arm like that?"

"Let us save those questions for later, Logan," said Xavier. "I will continue on with myself and my own opinions. I will say that there were certainly mistakes made, and you must be careful not to make that mistake in the future. However, that does not mean I would have taken points away from you for such things. I believe, of course, the best performances were those of Rogue, Kurt, Piotr, and Illyana. Well done, Alison and Bobby. You are some of the greatest we've had as recruits, but you both could have done better, in my honest opinion."

Alison and Bobby nodded. Kitty didn't feel so right about this, as…Well, she would save it for later.

And then…

"Kitty."

She looked up from her knees at the sound of her name, and she licked her lips when she couldn't think of anything to say at first. But then she thought of the right words. "I think everyone did well," she finally said. "I loved all the performances, to be honest. I thought that the best performances were given by Rogue, Alison, and Illyana. I love you Piotr, and I think you did quite well, so don't think I'm not looking you over." She smiled at Piotr, and he smiled back. "And Kurt, Bobby, you guys are great, but I just thought there were some areas for improvement, no offense. My favorites of today would have to be…" She thought for a moment, and finally came up with a decision. "It has to be a tie. Rogue and Illyana."

She said Illyana's name with a tone of finality, and then looked to Xavier with a stern expression, hoping that would allow him to know that she was done with her constructive criticism.

"Well, then," Xavier said. "We must move on to you, Illyana. How did you do what you did? Your abilities…they are extraordinary. How did you conjure the spell? Or energy, or whatever it was?"

"I don't know," she slowly explained. "I've been able to do it for a while, but I've never been able to know the full extent of my abilities. I'm not sure what exactly it is."

"I think I do," Jean said. "I'm a more powerful telepath than Professor Xavier here, so he allowed me to look into your mind in the case of there being a barrier there that would not allow me through. With your permission, I was allowed to look into your mind, and I found something you seemed to have in a recess of your mind. You control Magic, it seems. You are also able to teleport, which is quite handy in some situations, especially those in which you mind find yourself in. Of course, you will not be placed in any of those situations for some time because we want to be careful with how we use our new recruits." At a confused expression that crossed Alison's face, Jean explained more: "You, Kitty, Rogue, Kurt, Piotr, and Bobby really had no choice. You were forced into it as a result of Stryker's plans." Alison nodded, seeming to have had her question answered for her.

"I do know your codename now," Xavier said. "The one you shall use in the field with your fellow X-Men. You will be known as Magik."

Illyana looked to Piotr for a moment, and then smiled brightly. "I like that very much," she said. "With a 'c,' yes?"

"We'll see," said Xavier with a smile.

As Illyana hugged Piotr, a phone rang, and Jean, who was the closest to it, walked over to it.

As she did so, Kitty looked to Rogue and Alison and said, "You guys did really well." She smiled, though she felt saddened by the fact she had been unable to participate with them.

Alison smiled back, and Rogue smiled a small smile, which Kitty believed was better than nothing.

Jean picked up the phone, and she answered, "Xavier Institute for Gifted Children, this is Professor Jean Grey speaking, how may I help you?"

There was some talk on the other end, and Jean was listening intently. "Yes, she's here," said Jean. She did not look over to anyone in particular, but Kitty, Rogue, and Alison looked between themselves. They saw Jean's eyes suddenly tear up, and horror began to tear into their bellies. Jean clapped a hand over her mouth, and took it off to say, "Yes, thank you. Yes, you too." Then she hung up and walked over in front of Rogue. "Rogue, that was the Caldecott County Police Department, from your hometown in Mississippi. They say…" She teared up a little more. "Your father's been shot. He's dead. I'm sorry, Rogue. I'm so sorry."


	3. Returning Home

**Jesus. You don't know how bad I feel for not having updated this story in so long. Well, here you go, and I promise you that I will be back on it.**

* * *

 **Chapter Three: Returning Home**

Shock and sorrow filled Rogue's entire body as the prospect of those words hit her like a bullet train. She felt at first as if she had misunderstood Jean's words, but as she thought of them more and more, she realized it had to be the truth. She didn't know what she was supposed to do. She couldn't believe it...

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and she looked over to see that it was Kitty. She jerked herself away from Kitty and hurried toward the exit. Soon after she'd left, she heard footsteps behind her, and she turned around to find Logan there.

"What in the name of God do you want?!" Rogue snapped. Her eyes were filling with tears. She had no idea what in the name of God she was supposed to do now. There was too much going on. She hadn't meant to snap at Logan, and she felt remorse for it. But she didn't want to be stopped on her way to her room.

"Rogue," he said softly. "I'm sorry. As you left, the Professor told me that you should go home. I'm sure your mother would appreciate you coming, and it's probably expected by now. I just wanted to know if you want me to drive you there, or would you like me to accompany you all the way there?"

"No," she said. "I don't want you to accompany me there," Rogue told him, her mind and heart still racing with all that she had just heard. "But I think I know who I want to accompany me, because I could use the company."

"Who would that be?" came a voice from behind them. They turned to find Kitty, leaning on her crutches, staring at Rogue with sad eyes.

"You," Rogue said softly, though Logan noticed some exasperation in her voice. "You're going to come with me to Mississippi. Do you mind that?"

"No, I don't mind," Kitty said. "My parents probably should know about this, but I think I'm going to go ahead and do it without their consent. I'm old enough to do this on my own, anyway. I don't need to follow their rules all the time, although I do understand when it comes to some of the things they say about being careful." She sighed. "So I need to pack, don't I? Well, then, I guess we'd better hurry, then."

She was quite adept at using her crutches now, for she was able to get up to the top of the steps in breakneck speed without the help of anyone else. Rogue followed. Logan was about to, but then he saw Alison running toward them. He would go ahead and get the car started and have it waiting for them when they were ready.

Alison found Kitty and Rogue packing their bags as quick as they possibly could. She noticed Kitty was having trouble packing her bag and helped her. Together, they were done in minutes. Alison picked up Kitty's bag and offered to take it down the stairs for her, which Kitty allowed.

"Are you ready?" Rogue said when she had finished, though it was obvious she did not feel like talking at the moment, which no one could blame her for. Without waiting for an answer, she stormed off towards the door and the stairs. "Then let's go."

As Rogue walked down the stairs, she ran into Bobby, who hugged her tightly. "I love you," he said. "I'm sorry for what's happened, and I really hope everything goes alright while you're home. Be safe."

Piotr hugged Kitty. "I love you, Katya," he said. "Be sure to help her while you're there. She obviously needs it right now, and you are the most qualified to do so." He kissed her.

Illyana hugged Kitty and Rogue, as did Kurt, and then the two of them were off. When they made it downstairs, Professor Xavier, Jean, Scott, Emma, and Storm were there. All of them possessed sorrowful expressions on their faces. The Professor took hold of Rogue's outstretched hand as she passed. "I hope all goes well whule you're over there, Rogue. I am truly sorry for all that has happened. Be safe, as well." He smiled at her a little. Then he turned to Kitty. "The same goes for you, Kitty. Thank you for helping her during this time and volunteering to go with her in this time of need."

Kitty nodded, and she followed Rogue out the open door. She saw Logan standing by a car. Alison was standing there, as well. She hugged Rogue as she passed by. "I'm sorry, Rogue. I hope to see you again real soon. I just can't believe this has happened. I am just truly sorry for you."

"It's alright," Rogue said softly. "Thank you. I hope to see you again quite soon, as well." She got into the car, leaving Alison alone, as Kitty was now being helped into the car by Logan.

Soon enough, the car was on its way toward the airport. Silence surrounded everyone. Kitty wasn't sure what she was supposed to say. She wanted to say something, to make Rogue feel better. But she wasn't going to say anything for the moment, because she didn't want to say anything she might regret. She knew she was one of those kinds of people. She'd done it before, and she didn't wish to do so again.

 _I'll try to comfort her soon,_ Kitty thought. _But this is so serious. I mean, her father was shot! What kind of heartless person would dare to do this? I mean, there is the Brotherhood, but I don't think they'd try to attack us again, so soon! But then..._ Her eyes widened as she thought of the possibility of the Brotherhood being behind all this. If that was true, then it was a horrible thing. She wouldn't be able to believe it if it was actually true. _It would be horrible if we'd be forced into another battle with them. The last time we fought, all Hell broke loose, and Rogue is still feeling so much freaking guilt over that night, even if none of it was her fault. I still love her like a sister. She's someone who has gone through a lot, and as a result, she needs to be shown love and compassion, both of which will help in the days, months, and years to come. She's done a lot for me. She may have attacked me, but that wasn't her fault. That was Mystique, and Stryker. And there's no point in attributing that to her. We both know there's no way she can be blamed for what's going on. I can't ever blame her for any of what happened that night. I need to show her that none of it was her fault. I need to show her that she has no reason to feel the way she does about that night._

Kitty sighed, though not out loud. She didn't want everyone to hear it. She was in the backseat with Rogue. Logan was alone in the front. She didn't know why that thought had just crossed her mind. She guessed it was just the way it worked. Maybe she was just trying to pass the time until they reached the airport.

Looking over to Rogue, she saw her friend was very impatient. Obviously she wanted to get home soon, and console her mother. She wasn't sure if Rogue had any siblings. She'd never asked, and she'd never heard anything about it from her during the time they'd spent together.

Kitty sighed again and laid her head on the cool glass window. She hoped everything was cleared up soon, though she knew there was too much going on. She just wanted everything to be cleared up so that Rogue would be alright in the end, although she knew that would be hard to come by for a while. She wouldn't try to make everything better for her too quickly, though that didn't mean she wouldn't try at least a little.

Meanwhile, Rogue watched as all the trees moved past them. She still couldn't believe what had happened. Her father had been murdered. By whom? Why in the name of God was this happening to her? She just wanted her life to be simple.

But that wouldn't be able to happen so long as she was a Mutant. She would have to deal with so much for the rest of her life. Her mind was still on the events of the past, and she was sure those thoughts wouldn't be leaving her anytime soon. There was no way someone could easily forget such events.

 _I still remember that night, and I don't think I'll ever forget it,_ she thought. _Life has never been easy for me, especially since I was forced to deal with the fact I nearly killed Cody with that kiss. I feel horrible for what I did to him. He'll likely never come out of that coma, and I'm to blame for that. I've screwed up so many lives, and yet, then there's Kitty. I've done so much to her, and yet she still sees my as someone who can never be blamed for anything. I nearly killed her, for God's sake, and yet she still says that I'm not to be blamed for that! What in the name of God is she thinking? I have no reason to believe I'm a good person. Not anymore, at least. I'm not a good person. Not at all. I'm just someone whose life has been screwed up. I'll never be normal, and while I would have been proud of that for a while, back when I first met Kitty and she quickly became something of a sister to me, something I've never been able to think of until then. She was someone who saw something in me I never saw in myself. I would believe her when she says none of this is my fault if I hadn't been the one to horribly injure her that night. If that wasn't horrible enough, I had to deal with the fact I nearly allowed her to die yet again! For God's sake, I allowed her to be shot! I could have stopped her from being shot! As much as I hate it, I took some of her power, meaning that I could have used those abilities to phase the both of us so that she wouldn't have to carry the burden of taking the bullet. It proved one thing, however: she's so brave. I still love her like a sister. I love her so much, but there's so much crap going on that I don't know what to think anymore. And now...and now...now...my father has been shot. I don't know who's killed him. All I know is that I'm going to make sure I find out. I want to make them pay for what they've done. They've screwed my life up so horribly. They deserve to have their lives ruined and see how that turns out for them! I don't need to be going through anymore crap! I just want life to be freaking normal! I want this world to finally accept me! Why in the name of God won't it ever happen? Why in the name of God do I have to deal with this freaking curse? Can't someone just give me an answer to these questions? Or will I be forced to ask them for another unknown amount of time, never to be answered? I don't know anymore. All I know is that I'm going to have to deal with this for a long time, and that it will never end. This pain is going to last for a long time. I just know it. I just wish someone would help me to alleviate my pain. But that pain's not going to go away. This curse won't ever go away. Even though I want them to, it's...I don't know anymore. I just need to stop thinking right now, because..._

She stopped thinking, not knowing what she could continue on about. In all honesty, there was so much more she could think about, but for the moment, she just wanted to think of positive things. But after a few minutes, that idea failed. She didn't know what she could think about that would hold such a value in a time like this.

Rogue lay her head against the window, and she closed her eyes, hoping for some peaceful sleep.

 _She saw a cornfield, one that looked similar to one she'd seen at home. It definitely looked familiar. But the surroundings around her seemed a little different. There were flames climbing high into the sky, smoke trailing from their tips. She looked around her, hoping to find sources of life. For a moment, she believed she was alone._

 _Then she heard a yell, and she jumped. She whirled around to find Logan, fighting against a hooded figure that she didn't know. It was obvious he was a new enemy of hers. But was "he" really a he or a she? That was something she couldn't be sure about._

 _Logan attacked them, and he attempted to sink the adamantium claws into the person. Obviously, this was an enemy, or Logan had lost his mind completely._

 _Just before Logan could succeed in stabbing the person, they kicked him off them, and then turned toward Rogue. She saw their face, and though it looked familiar, she couldn't see them completely. It was like a dark black shroud covered their face, despite it seeming so clear to her._

 _She heard a cry of pain from behind her, and she whirled around again to find Kitty there, on the ground, crying in pain. Rogue saw blood dripping from her nose. Rogue wanted to help her badly. She called her name, but it was no use. For some reason, she could not get her words out. It was not something she liked. She felt as if there was someone else behind it, but she did not know who that was. She just wanted everything to go back to the way it had once been, back when everything was so much easier. But why in the name of God did this have to happen now?_

 _She ran to Kitty, hoping to help her, hoping to atone for her past sins. No matter what Kitty said, she would still blame herself for what she had done that night inside the compound on that accursed island. She would do her very best to atone for those sins._

 _But before she could reach Kitty, Mystique suddenly appeared, and she held a scythe in her hands. Rogue ran quicker, but it was as if her legs were made of lead. She could not move them. She looked down to see if there was a reason why, but she could not find one._

 _Nothing was making sense! She needed to get to Kitty before something bad happened! She needed to stop Mystique from harming her! This was her last chance to atone for the sins she'd committed that night! If she didn't live up to that chance, then nothing would be right ever again!_

 _She used all her strength to run forward, and found that she could finally move again. But it was too late._

 _She saw the scythe raise in the air. Rogue cried out for Kitty. And then the scythe came down._

 _Blood splattered across the field. Tears welled up in Rogue's eyes. She couldn't take it anymore._

 _She felt a horrible pain in her stomach, and she looked down to find a blade covered in blood. She gasped for a moment, and then fell to the ground. She couldn't take it anymore. Nothing would ever be right again..._

Please, God, _she thought,_ just take me from here! I don't deserve to live! I deserve to die! Please, God, just kill me now! Please!

 _She saw Mystique coming toward her, the scythe still in her hand._

 _The scythe was raised once more, and Rogue closed her eyes as the scythe came down._

She nearly jumped from her seat as she jolted awake. She felt tears in her eyes, though they did not flow. Sweat was dripping from her face, and her chest was heaving because she was breathing so hard.

"Rogue, you okay?" Kitty's voice came. "Hey, you okay?"

"What?" Rogue said. She looked to where she'd heard Kitty's voice. Kitty was staring at her, concern prevalent in her beautiful blue eyes. "Uh...Yeah, I think I'm...well—No. I don't think I'm alright."

Kitty nodded. "I understand," she said. "Just...calm down. I'm sorry, I don't know what else to say. Just calm down. You're, uh, kind of making people stare at us, no offense."

Rogue looked around her, and found Kitty was right. People were staring at them as if they had just caused a scene. Then Rogue realized that she pretty much had, due to her nightmare. She knew Kitty was right, however. The best thing to do was to calm down. If she didn't calm down, then more attention would be brought to them, something she didn't want. She wanted them to stay low-key for the time-being, although that didn't seem like something that was going to happen for the rest of the flight's duration, much to her chagrin.

Finally, she sat back and placed her head against the head-rest. She closed her eyes, breathed in, and exhaled. It felt good to her. It made her calm down, just what needed to happen.

 _I need to be more careful,_ she thought. _I really can't bring attention to either of us. If I do that, I could put everything in jeopardy. Honestly, though, I don't know how anyone could think we're Mutants. It wouldn't be good if someone could recognize us as such just by that. In fact, that would just be plain awful._ She looked to Kitty. _Kitty's right. I just need to calm down. I'm sure this'll all be over soon. When it is, we can just get to my mom's place and find out everything that happened._

For the rest of the duration of the flight, Rogue rested, though she did not attempt to sleep again, for fear of having another episode that would startle everyone on the plan and draw even more attention to her and Kitty. Meanwhile, Kitty opened a copy of _Voyager_ by Diana Gabaldon and from what Rogue could see, began reading page two hundred seventy-seven. Rogue didn't care to ask her how the book was. She thought that maybe she would do that later.

For now, though, she needed to mull everything over. It was still hard for her to think that her father was dead. It was also a wonder to her that she was not sobbing over that fact. She had loved her father, and to think he was now gone made her entire body fill with sadness. Despite that, she did not feel as if she was going to cry.

Why was that?

She could only sigh as all the thoughts buzzed through her mind like an angry swarm of bees. Sooner or later, she thought, she was going to get a headache. Sooner or later, the stress would be too much for her, and she would crack under the pressure of all that was surrounding her. She didn't feel like that should happen, but she didn't know how she could stop it, either. There was just too much going on, and too little time to think it all through.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed since they had taken flight. Looking at her phone, she was it was now 1:18. It had been 10:44 when they'd left, she remembered, and around 10:15 when she'd received the call.

Then the voice of the pilot came on over the intercom, telling the passengers they were about to land, about the wind conditions surrounding them, about putting up their tray tables and disposing of all trash, the temperature there in Mississippi (92 degrees), and the weather of the rest of the day.

At least ten minutes later, Rogue and Kitty were unboarding the plane, with Kitty taking a little longer than usual due to her crutches, and walking toward the baggage claim. It was there that they both reclaimed their suitcases, with Rogue also taking Kitty's for her, then made their way to the entrance/exit of the airport.

It was there that Rogue caught a glimpse of a woman with mostly gray hair and dark brown eyes. Her face wasn't too wrinkly, but there were some that were visible, and her eyes looked red and bloodshot, likely from the tears and the stress.

"Marie!" the woman exclaimed as she saw Rogue, who stiffened at the use of one of her real names. Her mother had the same Mississippi accent as her daughter, Kitty noted.

Mother and daughter embraced, and Rogue whispered to her mother, "I missed you, Mom."

Her mother broke apart from the embrace, then smiled at her daughter. "I missed you, too," she said. She looked over to Kitty. "Who's this? Is this one of your friends?"

"Yes," Rogue said. "Mom, this is Kitty, who is probably my best friend. Or, one of them. There's also Alison, but she couldn't come, unfortunately." Rogue noticed her mother was eyeying Kitty's crutches, and she felt a bead of perspiration at the top of her brow.

"Well, Kitty, it is nice to meet you," Rogue's mother said. "What happened to your leg, though, if I may ask?"

"It's nice to meet you too, mam," Kitty replied. "Oh...um...I was playing basketball with my boyfriend Piotr and our friends Alison and Bobby when I slipped on a patch of wet pavement and hit the ground. Rogue was one of those who helped me up and helped me to recover. I probably should have seen the wet patch, since it had just rained the night before, but I messed up, and so, here I am."

"Ah, well, that's not too bad," Rogue's mother said. "Now, let's get these to the car—" she motioned toward the suitcases— "then we can go home and...talk."

She fell silent, then cleared her throat, took hold of Kitty's suitcase, and turned around. The three of them made their way to where Rogue's mother had parked. After getting into the blue 2013 Honda Pilot, Rogue's mother started the car, and they began driving off.

"So, how was your flight?" Rogue's mother asked.

"Not too bad," Kitty said. "There was a crying baby onboard, unfortunately. I felt bad for it and its parents. I wish I could say that it was a he or a she, but I don't know its gender for sure."

"Understandable, and yes, that is always annoying, but I do think it could be worse," Rogue's mother said. "Oh, and by the way, Kitty, you can call me Wendy. Just call me that, because I'm not a fan of being called by my last name much."

"Yes, Mrs.—er, Wendy," said Kitty, hastily amending her words. She mentally cursed at herself for saying "Mrs.," as she knew it wasn't the best thing to do, especially in a time like this.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, much to Kitty's surprise. She had expected Wendy to speak more, but since she didn't, and since Kitty didn't want to say anything wrong, she didn't speak at all.

About fifteen to twenty minutes later, they arrived at a large home in a beautiful suburb. The home was made of red brick, and was two stories tall. Kitty stared at it, wide-eyed. She lived in a similar home herself, but she was caught off-guard by the beauty of this home, for a reason she did not know.

Helped by Wendy out of the car, Kitty used her crutches to get up the three cobblestone steps to the front door, which was made of a fine, glossy oak. Five panes of stained glass were embedded within the middle of the door, allowing a small look inside.

Soon Wendy unlocked the door and opened it, allowing Kitty to see the home Rogue had grown up in. She couldn't help but let her jaw drop open. It was just that beautiful.

The floors were made of a similar glossy wood as the door, and the ceiling and walls were a smooth, white, solid material Kitty didn't know the name of. The part of the ceiling above the foyer was supported by two marble pillars, which surprisingly went with all that surrounded it, even though Kitty knew that in most homes, the result would be the opposite.

When they entered the living room, Kitty saw a flatscreen TV, two couches, an armchair, and a rocking chair. There was a brick fireplace in the left corner of the room. The rug was a deep black color, with two rectangles of white surrounding it.

The three of them sat down: Kitty and Rogue on the three-cushioned couch, and Wendy on the two-cushioned couch. An awkward silence surrounded them, before Rogue finally broke it.

"Mom," she said softly, "I need to know: What in the name of God happened?"

Wendy cleared her throat, waited a few moments, then began to answer. "Last night, we were just up, watching a rerun of _Saturday Night Live_ , when your father heard a knock at the door. Now, we weren't sure what was going on, since it was at least eleven-thirty at night or so, maybe even midnight. We were thinking, 'Who could be knocking on the front door at this time of night?' For a few minutes, neither of us went downstairs. We decided to just stay where we were, for fear of what we would find when we got down there. But when the knocking returned, your father decided to get up and make his way down the stairs. I slowly followed him, but I was far away from him when he arrived at the door. I just remember hearing it open, followed by someone's voice. They said, 'Hello, sir,' and your father said something, his voice seemingly in shock at whatever he was seeing; I just couldn't hear what he had said. Then, without warning, just as your father uttered another sound, a gunshot rang through the air. I hurried down the stairs to see what had happened. Maybe it was just outside, I thought. But then, when I got to the bottom of the stairs, I saw your father fall..."

Her voice trailed off, and tears began streaming down her cheeks. Small sobs escaped her. Rogue got off the couch she and Kitty shared and walked to her mother, sitting on the couch with her, placing her arm around her to comfort her. This maybe Kitty smile a little, though the smile soon faded, as this was not supposed to be a very happy moment, obviously. Finally Wendy regained her composure enough to continue the story.

"After what happened, I ran to your father, looking out the open door to see if I could identify the assailant. But...all I saw was his silhouette. There were no lights on in the street, for some reason. Anyway, I called the police, hoping they could get here quick enough to save Thomas. But, when they arrived, despite me putting so much pressure on the gunshot wound, they told me he'd lost too much blood, and that he was dead. I didn't know what next to say, since I hadn't seen the face of the assailant. I just remember how horrible it was, to see all that happened. I remember the police looking shocked as I recounted everything that had happened to them. I'm not completely sure if they believe me, but all I know is that some psychopath murdered my husband—your father—and I want them to be brought to justice!" A sob escaped her lips, one that was filled with obvious sorrow and pain. Kitty felt sorry for her, seeing that Rogue was doing her best to make her mother feel better. Obviously, there was still a long way to go before her mother returned to her normal self.

 _There's too much going on right now,_ Kitty thought. _I just can't believe what's happening! Rogue obviously isn't going to be feeling herself for a much longer time. It's already like that due to her still believing it was her fault that I was beaten and injured back at the compound. But now, with all that's happening around us, I don't know if she'll ever be the same person she once was, the fun-loving girl that became my sister, just as Alison did. I really don't want those days to end, but it seems that they just might, with all that's going on. It's so much to process! So much, in fact, that it's beginning to make my brain hurt. I want to do something, but I'm really not sure what I can possibly do. I don't want to offend Wendy, or Rogue, but being careful has never been one of my specialties._

The brisk silence was not broken by anything, not even cries or sobs or the clearing of throats or the sounds of sniffles. It was almost too quite, in Kitty's opinion. But then, she thought, maybe it was the best it stayed like this.

Seven minutes later, according to the clock on the TV's set-top box, Wendy finally got up from her seat. "Well," she said, "I might as well show you to your room, Kitty. My only issue is you getting up the stairs, however."

"Don't worry, mam," Kitty said. "I can manage."

"You think so?"

"I've been learning to do it at the school," Kitty said. "I used to use the elevator, but I wanted to be ready for when I would have to climb the steps again, which I'm sure will be soon."

Wendy nodded. She cocked her head to the side for a moment, then said, "Not to be insensitive, but like my daughter, are you—"

"Mutant?" Kitty finished. "Uh, yes. I am. So, you know Rogue is one, then?"

"Yes, after what happened that one day, I do know, and I do not have a prejudice against Mutants. In fact, I believe it is wrong to hate them. I still do not understand the reason behind all the hate. Anyway, what is your ability?"

"I can phase through almost anything," Kitty answered. "If I still could walk without these crutches, that could come in real handy."

Wendy nodded. "Okay," she said. "If you'll follow me, I will show you to your room. It is right across from Rogue's room, just so you know."

They began climbing up the stairs moments later, with Kitty having some trouble due to her crutches. Rogue wanted to help her, but she didn't feel like touching her very much, still due to the events that had occurred what seemed like ages ago now.

When they finally reached the top, they went down a small hallway before reaching a door that was located on the right of the hall. Wendy pushed open the white door, revealing the interior.

The walls, made of the same material as those downstairs, were decorated with photos of nature and paintings. A small desk with a lamp upon it lay in the corner. There was a large window at the far end of the room, to the right of the bed. The curtains had been pulled over it. Kitty examined a few of the paintings, seeing a wolf standing in the snow, a lion standing on a large rock, and...a cat draped in shadow.

In fact, the only reason she knew it was a kind of cat was due to the inscription on the bottom of the painting: _Shadowcat_. It slightly amused Kitty, as that was her code name, to be used in the field as one of the X-Men.

The bed was large, and as Kitty got on top of it, soft and comfortable. She sighed as she lay on it, feeling exhaustion wash over her.

"Yes," Wendy said, smiling at Kitty. "Enjoy your room, Kitty. I can see you're already getting comfortable, and I can't blame you for that. You girls must be exhausted from your flight. I mean, two hours isn't so bad, but you've probably been up for a while." She took a deep breath at the end of that final sentence. "Okay. Well, dinner will be ready around five. We're going to be having spaghetti and meatballs." She swallowed hard as she spoke those words. "I'll leave you to get yourself situated."

And she left the room, leaving only Kitty and Rogue, who set Kitty's suitcase against the desk.

Kitty sighed. "Your mom sure is nice," she said. She looked to Rogue. "I know it might not be the best question to ask, but...how are you feeling?"

"Not the best," Rogue answered. "I know you're just trying to make me feel good, Kitty, and I appreciate that. I just wish things were a lot more simple right now. There's just too much going on. I don't know why everything has to be so freaking complicated!"

Kitty thought for a moment to figure out what she was going to say. "I honestly have no idea what to say to that, other than the fact that I...kind of understand. Obviously, I've never been in the same situation as you, but I know how complicated life can be. When I learned I was a Mutant, things became hard for me. I wanted to reveal what I was to my parents, but I didn't want them to be prejudiced, or scared, of me. So I waited for a long time, and it was one of the most painful things I had to do." She sighed. "What I'm trying to say is, I know how you feel. I'm trying not to drag on, so sorry if I did just that."

A faint smile crossed Rogue's lips. "It's okay," she said. "I just need to go to my room and think everything through. I'll definitely keep everything you said in mind, though."

And she exited the room, leaving Kitty alone. Kitty had no idea what to do next. She just sat there and stared at the paintings in the room.

Her mind kept returning to the Shadowcat painting.

She felt drawn to it.

 _That is what I am,_ she thought. _I am a Shadowcat. I'm no recluse, but there are times when I hide in the shadows, not knowing what to do. One of those situations would definitely have to be what's going on right now. I just don't understand what I'm supposed to do. I want to help Rogue, but I can't think of a way I can do that without too much trouble. It's like she said: life is way too freaking complicated. I wish it were more simple._ She sighed. _Oh well._

Finished thinking for the time-being, Kitty lay her head down on her pillow and closed her eyes, hoping for a peaceful sleep.


End file.
